Floor cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A floor cleaning apparatus is disclosed which has a handle that has a proximal end portion that receives a scraper and a distal end that connects to a cleaning head. The scraper can be removed for use as a separate cleaning device. The handle is telescopically retractable and connects to the cleaning head through a flexible neck. The cleaning head is removable and uses micro-fiber material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to hand held cleaning implements and more particularly to a hand held floor cleaning apparatus that includes a secondary cleaning implement.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hand held cleaning apparatuses that are used for cleaning floors typically have elongated extended handles with fixed cleaning heads. These cleaning apparatuses can be awkward to store and use because of the length of their handles. In addition, the lack of the ability to flex the angle of the cleaning heads relative to their handles limits the ability of the implements to clean under and around obstacles.

Further, these cleaning apparatuses can be limited in their applications to specialized cleaning uses because of their cleaning heads. For example, mops can be used to remove light stains and loosen some kinds of food or others undesirable materials that are adhered to a readily accessible portion of a floor, but mops are less effective at removing dirt from around obstacles and hardened materials that are stuck to a floor.

A hand held cleaning implement is needed that can advantageously change the length of its handle, change the angle of the cleaning head relative to the handle, and includes a secondary cleaning implement that assists in the cleaning process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A floor cleaning apparatus is described that comprises a handle that includes a distal first member and a proximal second member. The first member and the second member are positioned in sliding relation. The handle defines a longitudinal axis. A proximal end portion of the handle defines an aperture aligned with the longitudinal axis.

A scraper is positionable in the aperture that includes a proximal handle and a distal head. A plurality of bristles is connected to the head. The scraper is removably positionable from the aperture defined in the proximal end portion of the handle. A cleaning head is connected to a distal end portion of the handle that includes a flexible neck, a base plate and a cleaning element.

The floor cleaning apparatus can further include a locking mechanism that secures the relative positions of the first member and the second member. The cleaning element is removable and replaceable. The cleaning head defines a plane and the neck flexes to a position approximately parallel to the plane in any direction. The cleaning element is made of micro-fiber filaments.

The scraper is about one-fifth the length of the handle and one-half the width of the handle. The bristles of the scraper are made of a stiff polymer material. The scraper snap fits into the handle. The scraper has a different cleaning surface than the cleaning head of the floor cleaning apparatus. The proximal end portion of the handle defines a second aperture transverse to the longitudinal axis and the handle of the scraper defines an aperture transverse to the longitudinal axis. When the scraper is positioned in the handle, the second aperture and the aperture of the scraper handle are aligned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views where:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a floor cleaning apparatus that includes a scraper constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a handle of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 that is separated from the cleaning head and scraper of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a proximal end portion of the handle of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 in a first position;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 in a second position;

FIG. 6 is a left side view of a scraper of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the scraper of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8A-FIG. 8C are front views of the proximal end portion of the handle of FIG. 2 that shows one method of positioning the scraper into and removing the scraper from the handle;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the cleaning head of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a left side view of the cleaning head of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the floor cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the alternate exemplary positions of the handle flexed relative to the cleaning head; and

FIG. 12A-FIG. 12E are top views of the cleaning head of FIG. 1 showing a method for positioning on a cleaning element or removing a cleaning element from a base plate of the cleaning head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Although specific terms are used in the following description for the sake of clarity, these terms are intended to refer only to a particular structure of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings, and are not intended to define or limit the scope of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a floor cleaning apparatus 10 includes a handle 12, a scraper 14 and a cleaning head 16. The handle 12 has a proximal end portion that includes the scraper 14. Cleaning head 16 is attached to the distal end portion of handle 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, handle 12 includes a distal first member 20 and a proximal second member 22. The first member 20 preferably has a threaded distal end portion 26 that connects to cleaning head 16. Second member 22 has a proximal end portion 24 that is a terminal end of handle 12. In this preferred embodiment, second member 22 defines an aperture 30 that slidingly receives first member 20 in a telescopic relation. The first member 20 includes a stop 28 that limits the movement of second member 22 relative to first member 20 in the distal direction.

Referring to FIG. 3, proximal end portion 24 has a flange 32 with a through hole 36. Proximal end portion 24 of second member 22 defines another aperture 25 for receiving the scraper 14 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). Proximal end portion 24 also defines a protuberance 35 and an opposed pair of grooves 34.

As shown in FIG. 4, floor cleaning apparatus 10 is in a first position with handle 12 retracted. In this position, second member 22 telescopically extends over first member 20 and second member 22 contacts stop 28.

Referring now to FIG. 5, floor cleaning apparatus 10 is in a second position with handle 12 extended from the first position. Second member 22 is repositioned in the second position from the first position proximally relative to the first member 20. The second member 22 can be selectively fixed in a position by a locking mechanism relative to first member 20 at any position between the first position and the second position of floor cleaning apparatus 10. In this preferred embodiment, the locking mechanism of the floor cleaning apparatus also limits the proximal travel of second member 22 relative to first member 20.

As shown in FIG. 6, scraper 14 includes a proximal handle 38 and a distal head 40. The proximal handle 38 further preferably includes a circular indentation or channel 42. The proximal handle 38 of scraper 14 also includes a through hole 43 which has functions that include assisting in the inserting or removing of scraper 14 into handle 12. The distal head 40 include sets of bristles 41 preferably constructed of a rugged polymer material such as nylon.

As shown in FIG. 7, sets of bristles 41 are positioned in a series of rows along the distal head 40 in this preferred embodiment. It is understood that bristles 41 can take any number of patterns or groupings depending upon its desired application. Scraper 14 is preferably made of a polymer. Alternative materials for scraper 14 include metals, cellulose and composite materials.

As shown in FIG. 8A, scraper 14 is separated from the proximal end portion 24 of handle 12. In this one preferred embodiment, scraper 14 is about one-fifth the length of handle 12 and one-half the width of handle 12 to accommodate second member 22 comfortably. Aperture 25, defined in the proximal end portion 24, is aligned with the central axis of handle 12. Aperture 25 has a diameter and depth that receives scraper 14. Arrow shows the direction of insertion of scraper 14 into handle 12.

Referring now to FIG. 8B and FIG. 8C, one method for initially positioning scraper 14 in to proximal end portion handle 12 is shown. When scraper 14 is securely positioned in aperture 25 along the axis of handle 12, hole 36 in the flange 32 of handle 12 is approximately aligned with the through hole 43 in the scraper 14. The scraper 14 can be removed from the handle 12 by reversing the above method.

As shown in FIG. 9, cleaning head 16 includes a neck 44, a base plate 46 and a cleaning element 48. The neck 44 defines a receptacle 50 that receives and connects distal end portion 26 of handle 12. The opposing end of neck 44 is connected to base plate 46. The neck 44 is stiff and flexible such that it can bend relative to cleaning head 16. Neck 44 is preferably constructed of flexible silicone rubber, but it is understood that the neck 44 can be made of any flexible materials such as but not limited to compositions of rubbers, polymers and the like. Cleaning element 48 is preferably made of micro-fiber and includes two opposed sleeves 58. The sleeves 58 are preferably made of elastic material and hold the base plate 46 on the cleaning element 48.

As shown in FIG. 10, neck 44 defines a central axis 54 that is preferably initially at an angle of 60⁰ with horizontal plane 56 of cleaning head 16. This first position of neck 44 keeps the handle 12 in one of the preferred positions for cleaning.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, neck 44 and handle 11 are aligned in an initial position A and neck 44 flexes and/or bends to any angle to advantageously position cleaning head 16 relative to handle 12 as shown in the exemplary different directional positions B, C, and D. It is understood that neck 44 and handle 12 can be bent in any direction relative to cleaning head 16 and up within the range 0⁰ to 180⁰ degrees with the horizontal plane 56 of cleaning head 16.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the cleaning element 48 is separated from base plate 46. The sleeves 58 are pockets stitched into cleaning element 48 that define inwardly oriented openings that accommodate the opposed lateral ends of base plate 46. The base plate 46 preferably has rounded corners for ease of insertion into and removal from sleeves 58.

Referring now to FIG. 12B and FIG. 12C, one method for initially putting cleaning element 48 on the base plate 46 is shown. One of the lateral ends of base plate 46 is inserted into the opening of sleeve 58. The lateral end is preferably directed into sleeve 58 until the travel of the lateral end is halted by the limit of the pocket defined by sleeve 58.

As shown in FIG. 12D, with one lateral end positioned in one of the sleeves 58, the other lateral end is then inserted into the remaining sleeve 58. The opening of sleeve 58 is preferably resilient and stretches or extends to reach around the remaining lateral end to receive base plate 46.

Referring to FIG. 12E, the resilient sleeves 58 return to their original position prior to stretching and provide a tight secure fit with base plate 46. The cleaning element 48 also can be removed from the base plate 46 by following the above identified method in reverse as shown from FIG. 12E to FIG. 12A.

As shown in FIGS. 1-12E, the floor cleaning apparatus 10 in operation is advantageously used for cleaning using cleaning head 16 as well as specialized cleaning by scraper 16. Handle 12 and cleaning head 16 can also be utilized for cleaning floors, walls or ceilings. Scraper 14 can be readily removed from handle 12 and is used for specialized cleaning or scrubbing of areas such as tile, natural and man made stone materials, grout enamel and porcelain, for example.

Handle 12 advantageously allows the user to adjust the length of the floor cleaning apparatus 10. First member 20 and second member 22 are locked in a desired position by rotating second member 22 about its longitudinal axis in a clockwise direction relative to first member 20. Handle 12 is unlocked by rotating second member 22 about its longitudinal axis in a counterclockwise direction relative to first member 20. The first member 20 and the second member 22 are preferably fabricated of lightweight tubing to provide a sturdy and lightweight material to enable a broad range of users to readily lift and use the floor cleaning apparatus 10 without overly exerting themselves. Hole 36 of flange 32 of handle 12 can be used to hang the floor cleaning apparatus 10 from hook.

Neck 44 of cleaning head 16 advantageously allows the user to adjust any desired angle of the cleaning head 16 relative to handle 12 while cleaning beneath furniture, beds and the like. The multiple angular positionability of neck 44 advantageously allows the user to comfortably adjust the angle of cleaning element 48 relative to handle 12 and thereby reach less accessible places and/or maintain a close contact with the surface being cleaned. Other advantages of cleaning element 48 are reusability, fast replacement, and ability to undergo machine washing and drying. The user also can advantageously use the cleaning head in wet mopping operations where the frequent removal and replacement of the mop can be common.

Scraper 14 is separable from floor cleaning apparatus 10 at any time. Scraper 14 can easily be grasped for removal from handle 12 by scraper handle 38 and/or through hole 43. Scraper 14 can selectively be used to clean problem areas, for example, such as dried food, gum and the like. The flat compact structure of the distal end portion of head 40 of scraper 14 advantageously enables scraper 14 to reach and clean hard to reach areas, such as wall corners, furniture corners and the like. When desired, scraper 14 can be advantageously returned to and/or positioned in aperture 25 of handle 12. When scraper 14 is positioned into proximal end portion 24 of handle 12, protuberance 35 of the proximal end portion 24 connects with and preferably has a snap fit with indentation 42 of scraper 14. Grooves 34 assist in guiding scraper 14 in to handle 12 and assists in aligning through holes 43 and 36.

The embodiments of the invention shown and discussed herein are merely illustrative of modes of application of the present invention. Reference to details in this discussion is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to these details, or to the figures used to illustrate the invention. 

1. A floor cleaning apparatus that comprises: a handle that includes a distal first member and a proximal second member, the first member and the second member are positioned in sliding relation, the handle defines a longitudinal axis, a proximal end portion of the handle defines an aperture aligned with the longitudinal axis; a scraper that includes a proximal handle and a distal head, a plurality of bristles connected to the head, the scraper removably positionable from the aperture defined in the proximal end portion of the handle; and a cleaning head connected to the handle that includes a flexible neck a base plate and a cleaning element.
 2. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1 that further comprises a locking mechanism that secures the relative positions of the first member and the second member.
 3. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning element is removable and replaceable.
 4. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning head defines a plane and the neck flexes to a position approximately parallel to the plane in any direction.
 5. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said cleaning element is made of micro-fiber filaments.
 6. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scraper is about one-fifth the length of the handle and one-half the width of the handle.
 7. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bristles of the scraper are made of a stiff polymer material.
 8. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scraper snap fits into the handle.
 9. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scraper has a different cleaning surface than the cleaning head of the floor cleaning apparatus.
 10. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the proximal end portion of the handle defines a second aperture transverse to the longitudinal axis and the handle of the scraper defines an aperture transverse to the longitudinal axis such that when the scraper is positioned in the handle the second aperture and aperture of scraper handle are aligned.
 11. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are in telescopic sliding relation. 